Alturas, California

Alturas (Spanish for "Heights"; Achumawi: Kasalektawi) at an elevation of . or Kasalektawi. The city was initially known as Dorris Bridge or Dorris' Bridge, named after Pressley and James Dorris, who built a bridge across the Pit River at this location. and Alturas in 1876, the latter meaning "heights" in Spanish. The census of 1880 showed a population of 148. However, settlement continued over the next two decades, until the city was incorporated on September 16, 1901. Because of its central location, Alturas became the county seat when Modoc County formed in 1874, even though both Adin and Cedarville were then larger towns.

|source 2 = National Weather Service (snow/snow days 1935–2018)

Demographics

thumb|left|Sacred Heart Church of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento|Catholic Diocese of Sacramento]]

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Alturas city, California – Racial composition

!Race (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!2010

!2000

!1990

!1980

|White alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |73% (1,982)

|80.9% (2,286)

|80.2% (2,319)

|89.1% (2,879)

|94.1% (2,847)

|Black alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.1% (31)

|0.5% (14)

|0.2% (7)

|0.4% (13)

|0% (0)

|American Indian alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.2% (88)

|2.1% (59)

|3.6% (105)

|3.4% (109)

|0.6% (19)

|Asian alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.3% (36)

|1.4% (40)

|0.7% (21)

|<td rowspan="2"> |0.5% (16)

|<td rowspan="2"> |0.4% (12)

|Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.3% (7)

|0.2% (7)

|0.1% (3)

|Other race alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.7% (18)

|0.1% (3)

|0.5% (15)

|0.1% (2)

|0% (0)

|Multiracial (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.1% (138)

|2.5% (71)

|2.7% (78)

|—

|Hispanic/Latino (any race)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |15.3% (415)

|12.3% (347)

|11.9% (344)

|6.6% (212)

|4.9% (147)

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Alturas had a population of 2,715. The population density was . The census reported that 99.2% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.6% were institutionalized.

There were 1,199 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18. Of all households, 35.2% were married-couple households, 7.9% were cohabiting couple households, 35.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 21.9% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. About 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25. There were 702 families (58.5% of all households).

The age distribution was 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% aged 18 to 24, 24.5% aged 25 to 44, 24.6% aged 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.4 males age 18 and over.

Income and poverty

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $54,634, and the per capita income was $31,725.

Economy

thumb|left|The historic Modoc County Courthouse, completed in 1914 to replace the prior courthouse built 1883–84

Alturas is the headquarters to the Modoc National Forest, the Applegate Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge and other recreation areas, and is the trade center for the agricultural region, which produces beef, sheep, potatoes, alfalfa and lumber. Despite its abundance of wilderness, recreational opportunities, hunting and fishing resources, and natural environment, tourism is not a major sector of the local economy – largely due to the city's remote location.

Local, State, Federal, and Tribal governments are the largest employers in Alturas. A vibrant timber industry collapsed in the early 1980s due to increased production costs and low market prices for softwood lumber.

The Modoc Joint Unified School District is headquartered in Alturas.

The Alturas Rancheria, a band of Pit River Indians, operates a small casino just outside the city limits.

Government

In the California State Legislature, Alturas is in , and .

In the United States House of Representatives, Alturas is in .

Transportation

thumb|right|[[NCO Railway Depot, built 1908]]

Alturas is served by U.S. Route 395 and California State Route 299. U.S. 395 comes in from the south from Susanville and Reno. State Route 299 comes in from the west from Redding. Both highways merge in Alturas and head out of the city as a concurrency northeast toward Lakeview, Oregon; and Cedarville, respectively.

The Modoc Subdivision track of the Union Pacific Railroad and the Lake County Railroad (of Lake County, Oregon) serve the area. Alturas Municipal Airport is a public-use, general aviation facility located west of the city's central business district.

Education

Modoc Joint Unified School District is the local school district.

Notable people

Kayte Christensen, WNBA basketball player
Ernest S. Brown, former United States Senator from Nevada
John E. Raker (1863–1926), Congressman from California (served 1911–1926) and author of the Raker Act
Robert "Top Gun" Hight, NHRA drag racer John Force Racing